An extremely interesting and engaging memoir written by Natasha Williams about her father, Frank, who had schizophrenia.

The memoir covers Williams whole time with her father and does not shy away from the more challenging of his behaviours including taking her to see The Exorcist when she was 8 then trying to get her exorcised, the bizarre behaviour with other women and his inability to care for the several children he fathered. Williams mother does not escape unscathed either being a woman who seemed uncaring at times and unable to put her daughter's needs first.

However, all that said, the bond between Natasha and her father is very clear and even though her ability to keep boundaries intact grew as she got older there is never any suggestion that she ever stopped caring deeply for him or he for her. Despite all the challenges Natasha remained the best and most loyal advocate for her father until hos death.

This is, at times, a difficult read as Natasha is growing up almost having to parent herself but it is also extremely moving and gives you some idea of how difficult it is to live with schizophrenia - both for the sufferer and the wider family.

Highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Apprentice House for the advance review copy.

The Parts of Him I Kept is a fascinating view into the effects of living with mental illness and the power of a child’s love, regardless of her father’s schizophrenia.

In a vibrant, poetic voice, Williams details her wild upbringing in 1970s New York City with an inattentive mother and a father with a messiah complex. At eight years old, a doctor tells Williams’ mother that her daughter needs to eat more protein. The reply? “Natasha knows better than I do if she’s hungry and what she wants to eat.” She feels “beast-like in [her] uncivilized childhood,” but Williams becomes her father’s caretaker when she is only fifteen years old. Skillfully woven together is the voice of the adult writer asking questions about her past and the present state of caring for the mentally ill, the research she discovers along the way, and the memories of her fearless child-self. Throughout is the ever-present love and devotion a daughter has for her unstable father. She found refuge in her father’s love.

This heartbreaking story evokes empathy and awe in the reader. With her unflinching honesty and unapologetic tone, Williams relates traumatic scenarios that were commonplace to her younger self. Yet, for the child she once was, her schizophrenic father is her solace and her safety. There is a longing in the prose, a longing to understand the complicated relationship: “Our steps cut a consistent, comforting rhythm … as if together we made a heartbeat.”

The challenges and stigma of living with mental illness and the ongoing search for humane care are prevalent arcs throughout the book. Would the thirty-five courses of electroconvulsive therapy Williams’ father endured be considered standard procedure today? Research of the vertical nature and genetic propensity of schizophrenia is artfully woven into the narrative. “…what if the voices most of us couldn’t hear had something to impart? John Nash, the brilliant mathematician who suffered from schizophrenia, described his voices as ‘something a little different than aliens… maybe more like angels.’” There is hope in Williams’ story, hope for empathy for the people who live with mental illness and for the family members who care for them.

The Parts of Him I Kept is an homage to the universal power of tenderness. Williams reminds us that mental illness is as much a social as a psychological condition. This is a must-read for exploring the depths of compassion and the power of human connection.

Natasha Williams’ The Parts of Him I Kept is an achingly powerful memoir that delves into the complexities of love, mental illness, and the unbreakable bond between a father and daughter. With unflinching honesty and tender prose, Williams shares her journey of growing up with a schizophrenic father in 1970s New York City—a time and place that heighten the gritty, emotional weight of her story.

From the shocking night her father drove into New York Bay to the intimate moments of connection amidst his unraveling, Williams weaves a narrative that is both heartbreaking and deeply compassionate. Her ability to capture the contradictions of her father—a man capable of immense love yet haunted by his illness—is nothing short of extraordinary. Readers will be moved by her nuanced exploration of the burdens and privileges of caregiving and the lingering impact of family trauma.

Williams’ memoir not only shines a light on the challenges of living with schizophrenia but also asks poignant questions about how we understand, cope with, and remember those we love. Her voice is both raw and lyrical, making this book impossible to put down.

The Parts of Him I Kept is a must-read for fans of memoirs that tackle difficult but essential truths. It’s a story that lingers long after the final page—a tribute to resilience, love, and the parts of people we carry with us forever.

I am grateful to have received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This memoir offers some gut wrenching insight into the realities of having severely mentally ill parents, but also into the struggles of loving and caring for anyone with severe mental illness. I personally have a preference for a more linear connection between chapters and timeline, and felt that this memoir jumped around in a manner that made it more difficult for me to connect with the author and really experience her story with her. However, the content and insight is incredibly informative and insightful.

This is a powerful memoir about a daughter’s love for her father who struggles with schizophrenia. The author provides tremendous insight into her life dealing with the complexity and burden of the disease. She decribes the consequences of both her father and her mother’s actions resulting in a chaotic childhood. This is a book for anyone who has been touched by a friend or family with a mental illness. Today, the understanding , stigma , and how we treat mental illness has changed for the better.

I don't normally read memoirs, but this was an insightful book about schizophrenia and how it affects the people (and their reaction to it) around the person that is affected by this illness.

4 stars

Really great and new perspective about schizophrenia. Loved Natasha’s empathetic and realistic view of her father, even when she was too young to be dealing with the disease. It seems she got all the best parts of him.

The Parts of him I kept by Natasha Williams is one family's story of exploring their understanding of schizophrenia, while documenting caring for their mentally ill family member.

Her father was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia on the day of his college graduation. One night in April, Natasha's father drove his car into New York Bay with his 2 1/2 year old sister in the back seat. It made headline news, but growing up with a Schizophrenic father in New York in the 1970s was complicated.

Natasha writes about her own coming if age story that coincides with her father's schizophrenic undoing. She navigates though societies view of schizophrenia and the medical aspects of it. She writes about how it is both a burden and a privilege to care for a mentally ill family member.

Thank you Natasha for telling your story and for working with NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

This amazing book debuts in stores April 29 2025

Such an interesting book. It tells of the love, conflict and confusion of living with someone with a severe mental illness. I really enjoyed reading it and it is one of those books that will stay with me.

I devoured this. I always love a memoir, and especially a memoir of a daughter dealing with the consequences of her father's actions. It's raw and riveting and I could not put it down.

4.75⭐️

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the published from netgalley. thank you!]


i have schizophrenia, and i found this memoir to be interesting and insightful and accurate. well worth a read

The Parts of Him I Kept by Natasha Williams is a deeply personal and raw memoir that delves into the complexities of growing up with a schizophrenic father. Set against the backdrop of gritty 1970s New York City, Williams recounts her tumultuous relationship with her father, whose mental illness spiraled uncontrollably, shaping not only her childhood but the very fabric of her identity.

The story begins with a chilling moment: Natasha’s father drives his car into New York Bay one cold night, with her two-year-old half-sister in the backseat. He survives, but the headline that follows, "Back from a Watery Grave," serves as a jarring contrast to the deeply emotional and nuanced story Williams tells. While the media focuses on the sensational, Williams reveals the much more complicated and intimate reality of her father's mental illness and the often invisible struggles that came with it.

The memoir explores Natasha’s childhood through the lens of her father’s schizophrenia—an illness that both bound and distanced them in ways that are difficult to fully explain. Williams examines the conflicting emotions of love and resentment, care and fear, as she navigated the instability and unpredictability of her father’s mental health. At times, his love felt overwhelming, while at others, it was impossible to reconcile with the pain his illness caused. Yet, amid the chaos, there are moments of tenderness and connection that Williams holds on to—the "parts of him" she kept as a way of understanding both the man and the father.

Williams also deftly highlights the societal ignorance and stigma surrounding mental illness, especially during the 1970s, when schizophrenia was often misunderstood or dismissed. The memoir doesn’t just chronicle her father’s descent into illness but also addresses the burden and responsibility of caring for someone who is mentally ill. Through her poignant reflections, Williams brings attention to the complexities of being both a daughter and a caregiver, a role that demands more than love—it asks for understanding, patience, and sacrifice.

A newbie to so much about launching a book and all the platforms that get the word out.

I mistakenly selected my own book to review.

So I will just say this. I love this book and the way it's opened up conversation about living with and caring for people with mental illness. I hope you will read it and review it and help me expand the conversation further. I would love to hear form you Natashawilliamswriter.com

There are surprises in Natasha Williams’ stunning The Parts of Him I Kept. I was seduced by her schizophrenic father’s charm, and then surprised again as the drama of her of her father’s actions and the women who supported them unfolds. Most startling was Williams’ capacity for deep love and her generosity toward her deeply damaged parents. Lean, elegant and searing, Williams’ memoir is a must read.

The book is deeply moving and introspective memoir that tackles the complexities of mental illness with raw honesty. Natasha Williams doesn’t just tell the story of her father’s schizophrenia—she paints a nuanced portrait of a man who was both troubled and loving, difficult yet deeply human.

What stands out about this book is its emotional depth. Williams invites readers into her world, showing not only the pain and chaos of growing up with a mentally ill parent but also the love and resilience that shaped her. She refuses to reduce her father to his diagnosis, instead offering a narrative that acknowledges both his struggles and his moments of tenderness.

The structure can feel a bit fragmented, that might actually mirror the unpredictability of living with someone with schizophrenia—memories don’t always come in a neat, linear package. If anything, that could make the storytelling feel even more authentic.

For readers drawn to memoirs about family, mental health, and the bonds that persist despite hardship, this book seems like a compelling, heartfelt read. It’s the kind of story that lingers, making you reflect on how we define love and what it means to hold onto someone—even when parts of them are slipping away.






You said:

Natasha Williams’ memoir, The Parts of Him I Kept, opens us to the wounding beauty of her father’s schizophrenia. Frank is a man who "hopes to get into the Sun". Williams and her father forge a life filled with excessive generosity, music, and steadfast devotion. Read this lyrically rich memoir if you know someone whose family is impacted by mental illness. Read this if your family is fractured. Read this and remember that, despite a mother’s distancing and a father’s bouts of mania, anything is possible, most notably love.

This is a very challenging read. The subject matter is confronting and dark and the writing style is somewhat disjointed and occasionally difficult to follow. The perspective and messaging are also a little unclear - is this the author’s story, her father’s, both? Either way, it is almost chilling at times how the information is presented - the matter of fact descriptions of physical abuse, the disturbing slaughter of jellyfish and laboratory animals, the almost casual treatment of children being born, neglected and then adopted and out of contact for decades. All of this lends the book an authenticity and truthfulness which would no doubt be lacking if there was any sense of sugar coating or retrospective justification. It’s fascinating, as a result.

The Parts of Him I Kept was a really powerful, compelling memoir. Natasha Williams describes her father's struggle with great compassion, while also exploring the effect both he and her mother had on her. The narrative jumps around, rather than being chronological, which can be jarring at times, but once I got used to that style it didn't bother me.

**A Masterpiece of Emotion and Resilience**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Natasha Williams’ *The Parts of Him I Kept* is a stunning exploration of love, loss, and the intricate ways we hold on to the pieces of someone we’ve loved. This novel is not just a story—it’s an experience that lingers long after the last page.

Williams’ prose is beautifully lyrical, weaving a narrative that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. The characters are so richly developed that they leap off the page, each carrying their own scars, hopes, and humanity. The central character’s journey of self-discovery and healing is both heartbreaking and inspiring, reminding readers of the strength it takes to rebuild oneself after loss.

The themes of memory, forgiveness, and resilience are handled with such grace that they resonate on a soul-deep level. Williams’ ability to capture raw emotion without veering into melodrama is a testament to her talent as a storyteller.

*The Parts of Him I Kept* is more than a novel—it’s a testament to the power of love and the enduring strength of the human spirit. For anyone who has ever loved deeply, grieved profoundly, or sought to find themselves in the aftermath, this book is an absolute must-read.

Bravo, Natasha Williams. This is a masterpiece.

"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.'' - Alfred Adler

I think this quote sums up this book. It covers the lifetime of the daughter of someone struggling with mental illness and trying to understand. The depth at which she writes her experiences and tries to include others sides was wonderful. I really appreciated her approach and dedication to showing they are more than their illness.

There is heavy themes and subjects covered in this book. It covers these topics with grace. At times it felt a bit long and thr bouncing around time frames didn't always feel flow. However, I think it is an excellent book and definitely shows,bravery to write it.